Is your floor their ceiling? There is an interesting phenomenon I see among dissatisfied high achievers in traditionally competitive fields who are from underrepresented groups. Oftentimes, there is a disconnect between what you think is reaching your full potential and what others around you perceive as such. They think you’ve hit your ceiling and you think you’ve finally laid the foundation to make real moves.
Sometimes, it’s Black women physicians who are expected to be happy members of the profession and deemed ungrateful if they also want to be in leadership outside the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Sometimes, it’s first-generation Americans with advanced degrees who are expected to be happy to be employed in this great nation and considered greedy if they want to leverage their skill and high level of training for financial freedom.
As a lifetime member of Team Doing The Most, my dreams for myself often exceed what others expect of me. I actually think being a Black woman who is the child of immigrants has made me more audacious. That’s why I really enjoy helping people own how high they perceive their ceiling to be.
There are two important ingredients to making their ceiling your floor – comfort in your identity and support from your network.
Your Identity
You need comfort in your own skin to be all you are meant to be. Especially if you a member of a traditionally underrepresented group in your chosen field, it’s imperative to have pride in rather than apology for what makes you unique.
When you let race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or anything else that makes you yourself be a source of shame, it expends energy you need to fulfill your full potential. Revel in the value your diversity brings instead of apologizing for your difference.
That does mean you have to love, or at least like, your own unique attributes. If I viewed my Blackness and my woman-ness as burdens rather than powerful assets, it would be nigh impossible for me not to be distracted constantly.
Your Network
I invite you to consider your network. When others see your current position as the pinnacle of your potential, they are unlikely to support your use of that position to do and be greater things. Your floor is their ceiling for you.
Even the most loving efforts to keep you grounded in reality can be limiting if you aren’t careful. All of your sounding boards needn’t be folks with an inclination to put an artificial cap on your capability. Instead, you want people in your life who support you in building from what you see as your foundation.
So, are you currently closer to your full potential or your foundation?
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Dr Jattu Senesie is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, certified success coach, physician satisfaction specialist and speaker. She blogs about issues of self care and well-being in an effort to help her fellow altruistic high achievers find satisfaction in their success as early in their careers as possible.
